Following a public outcry over the case of Billy Caldwell, a 12-year-old boy with epilepsy who was prohibited from bringing back a life-changing supply of cannabis oil from Canada, the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has now been made legal in the UK. Unsurprisingly this has re-ignited the ongoing question: should we legalise the recreational use of cannabis?

Recreational marijuana should be legal

Legalising marijuana would help to minimise its harms.

Legal marijuana can be controlled and regulated

The composition of legal cannabis can be guaranteed by a trusted organization (a state or an association for example). Thus, the consumers will be protected from added substances present in street cannabis.Explore

Marijuana as a source of tax revenue

By legalising and then taxing marijuana, governments can gain a significant source of revenue.Explore

Personal freedom and marijuana

Just as we allow adults to consume alcohol, adults should have the freedom to use marijuana if they desire.Explore

Access to medicinal cannabis is restricted

Currently, medicinal cannabis is only prescribed through the NHS is a child or adult has a rare form of epilepsy, or if an individual experiences vomiting or nausea as a result of chemotherapy. However, there are many other instances in which the use of cannabis is beneficial in alleviating certain side effects, such is the case for Lyme disease.Explore

Legalising marijuana would lessen strain on police and prisons

A significant amount of resources is used arresting and imprisoning people for marijuana offences.Explore

Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco

Alcohol and tobacco are legal, but cause far more deaths than marijuana. There is no reason marijuana should be illegal while alcohol and tobacco are legal.Explore

No, cannabis should only be used for medical purposes.

The drug isn't valuable to society outside of medical use.

Marijuana is a gateway drug

Those who try marijuana are more likely to try other, harder drugs.Explore

Legalising marijuana benefits the black market

Legalising marijuana serves to make it more popular, which only serves to help the organised crime units that profit from it.Explore

Marijuana has negative health effects

Marijuana has been linked to numerous health problems, and should not be sanctioned by the state.Explore

This page was last edited on Friday, 24 Jan 2020 at 15:55 UTC

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